Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-09-14
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Access to clean water is a basic human right. Therefore every home should have a water supply that is provided free of charge.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
Basic human rights includes the access to clean water. Therefore there should be water supply that is provided free of charge to every other home. I completely agree with this statement, as everyone has a right to live a healthy lifestyle. In this essay, I will support my opinion with examples.
Firstly, water is our basic neccessity because a human body is healthy only when it is hydrated. If our water intake is less, then our body will become dehydrated due to which we could face many health problems including urinary problems and constipation. For example, if a person drinks less water throughout the day, he might experience weakness and fatigue.
Every other home in rural and urban areas should have access to clean water without being charged because there are many people who hardly make their both ends meet. This is the reason why I agree with the factor of fulfilling the basic needs. Another advantage of availability of free water indicates the it would be beneficial for many people living in the backward areas because poverty is so common nowadays that people are facing shortage of food and shelter. For instance, it could help in reducing the diseases that are caused by drinking contaminated water.
On the other hand, if governments ensures that every household is provided with a sufficient amount of clean water, it could benefit many disadvantaged families and helps in reducing their financial pressure.
In conclusion, reliable water sources should be provided free of cost which could provide gender equality in society. However, it should be used responsibly without wasting.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.5
The response addresses the prompt by clearly stating a position agreeing that clean water should be provided free of charge. Main ideas are presented, such as the health benefits of hydration and the economic relief for impoverished or disadvantaged families. However, the development of ideas tends to be somewhat repetitive, particularly regarding poverty and basic needs across different paragraphs. For example, the mention that 'many people who hardly make their both ends meet' in the third paragraph is closely echoed in the fourth paragraph about 'disadvantaged families and helps in reducing their financial pressure'. The conclusion also introduces a new, unmentioned idea about 'gender equality in society' which is not supported earlier in the text. Consequently, the task is addressed with a clear position, but the depth and extension of ideas lean towards Band 6 descriptors where some points feel slightly under-developed or repetitive.
Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.5
The essay presents a coherent overall arrangement with a clear introduction and conclusion, and the response is divided into logical paragraphs. Cohesive devices are employed to guide the reader through the text, such as 'Firstly' and 'On the other hand'. However, referencing and logical progression occasionally falter. For instance, the transition into the third paragraph starts with 'Every other home', which is used incorrectly to mean 'every single home' rather than alternating homes. Additionally, cohesive phrasing is at times mechanical or imprecise, such as 'Another advantage of availability of free water indicates the it would be beneficial'. Paragraphing is used sufficiently to separate distinct arguments, but the connection between sentences within paragraphs occasionally lacks smooth progression, placing this response firmly in the Band 6 territory.
Lexical Resource — Band 5.5
The student displays an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, attempting some less common phrases such as 'disadvantaged families', 'contaminated water', and 'financial pressure'. However, there are noticeable lexical errors and awkward collocations throughout the text. For example, the writer uses 'hardly make their both ends meet' instead of the standard idiom 'make ends meet', and uses 'indicates the it would be' containing a typographical error and a clunky grammatical fit. Spelling and word choice errors are present, such as 'neccessity' instead of 'necessity', but these generally do not impede communication. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the message, reflecting the characteristics of a Band 6 performance.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5
The response demonstrates a mix of simple and complex sentence forms, utilizing conditional structures and relative clauses such as 'If our water intake is less, then our body will become dehydrated' and 'diseases that are caused by drinking contaminated water.' However, grammatical errors are frequent. There is a subject-verb agreement error in the opening sentence: 'Basic human rights includes the access', where 'includes' should be 'include'. Other errors include article misuse in 'the access to clean water' and minor prepositions slips. Despite these errors, the meaning remains clear and the sentences are generally understandable, aligning well with the criteria for Band 6 where a mix of structures is handled with some non-impeding errors.
See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.
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